The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.
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The 8-week trial has concluded and the former media mogul has been found guilty of two federal charges and is now facing time in prison. Writer and producer: Casey Magloire With reporting from Stephen Armstrong. Executive producer: Rebecca Moore Photography: Joe Mee Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week the government passed its planned welfare reforms in the House of Commons, despite a sizable backbench rebellion. Writer: Poppy Bullard Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Around 200,000 people attended Budapest pride, defying Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ban on the event. Why did Pride become the focus of anti-government protests? Writer: Phoebe Davis Host: Casey Magloire Photography: Alex Jones Producer: Casey Magloire Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last week, a six-hour livestream hosted by an AI-generated influencer drew 13 million views and generated $7.5 million in sales for Baidu- a Chinese tech company. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The founder of the gossip website is now known. Is this a victory for those targeted by the site? Writer: Rachael Healy Producer: Ada Barumé Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amazon’s billionaire founder is taking over the city for his wedding to Lauren Sanchez. Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The UK government has launched a new inquiry and national criminal investigation into the sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs. Writer: Jon Ungoed-thomas Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The French authorities will soon have new powers to intercept small boats carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel, even if they are already at sea. Writer: Serena Cesareo Producer: Serena Casareo Host: Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After years of courtroom battles, campaigner Sarah Finch won a landmark Supreme Court case that could reshape how the UK approves oil, gas and coal projects. Writer: David Taylor Producers: Poppy Bullard Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Donald Trump ordered the strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday morning. He said the US entered the war to stop the threat from “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror”. Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Rebecca Moore Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Could Donald Trump order a strike on Iran’s underground nuclear site using a bunker-buster bomb – and what might the consequences be? Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producers: Jonathan Lewis and Poppy Bullard Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The UK eats hundreds of thousands of tonnes of tuna every year but not all of it is legally or sustainably caught. Writer: James Tapper Producer: Ada Barumé Host: Andrew Butler Episode photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Artificial intelligence is changing our lives and our world at an astonishing pace, but its hunger for data is matched by its need for energy and water. Writer: Jon Ungoed-thomas Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What does the escalating conflict in the middle east mean for Iran, its regime and hopes for a new nuclear deal with the US? Writer: Poppy Bullard with additional reporting from Chloe Hadjimatheou Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Casey Magiore Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
With findings of a government review on the role of physician associates expected any day now, what is the role, and why are some doctors so concerned about safety? Writer: Rachael Healy Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Claudia Williams Episode photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves this week set out the government’s spending plans for the next three years, committing billions of pounds to some departments, while significantly cutting others. She told MPs they were her “choices” - but are they the right ones? Writer: Cat Neilan, The Observer’s Whitehall Editor Producer: Poppy Bullard Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
After small-scale protests over immigration raids erupt in Los Angeles, President Trump deployed the National Guard and later, the Marines. Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Elon Musk may have left the Trump administration and fallen out with the president. But amidst all the noise over the breakup of their bromance, Musk’s plan to claw back billions in foreign aid is quietly making its way through Congress. Writer: Serena Cesareo Producer: Serena Casareo Host: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
The government is planning on building a new generation of incinerators to generate electricity - including one on England’s renowned Jurassic coast. Writer: Jon Ungoed-thomas Producer: Karla Patella Host: Casey Magloire Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
England’s women’s football team heads into the Euros without three key stars. Writer: Jessy Parker Humphreys Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A group of climbers has sparked debate over cheating in mountaineering after scaling Everest and returning to London in just 5 days - with the help of xenon gas. Writer: Jess Swinburne Producer: Serena Cesareo Host: Casey Magloire Photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
David Attenborough’s new documentary Ocean has put bottom trawling in the crosshairs of environmental activists. Clips in this episode are from David Attenborough’s new documentary film, Ocean. Writer: James Tapper Producer: Jonathan Lewis Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
After years of peacetime under-investment in defence, the UK government is vowing to shake things up. It says civilians can no longer ignore the rising risks. Writer: Cat Neilan Producer: Jonathan Lewis Host: Tomini Babs Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As rates of vaping continue to rise across the UK, a health and environmental crisis is unfolding. Will the banning of single-use vapes in the UK turn the tides on their environmental cost? Writer: Jess Swinburne Producer: Karla Patella Photography: Alex Jones Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Donald Trump says he wants to build the ‘next generation’ missile shield to protect America from foreign attacks. Writer: Stephen Armstrong Producer: Rebecca Moore Host: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The government has hailed ‘a new dawn’ for the railways under the first renationalised train service. But will Britain’s trains become more reliable and will tickets be cheaper under public ownership? Writer: James Tapper Producer: Karla Patella Host: Claudia Williams Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New research from the Royal College of Nursing suggests many overseas nurses are thinking about leaving the UK. Could the government’s tough new immigration reforms accelerate that? Writer: Rachael Healy Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Claudia Williams Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Why the River Wye is at the centre of one of the biggest environmental claims ever filed in the high court. Writer: Jon Ungoed -Thomas Producer: Karla Patella Host: Casey Magloire Photography: Alex Jones Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Two deaths a fortnight ago haven’t dimmed the high-octane appeal of motorsport. So when tragedy hits a high-risk sport like this, what keeps riders coming back? Writer: Rory Smith Producer: Casey Magloire Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The government has commissioned radical new reforms to reduce the prison population by 10,000 people. Writer: Rachel Sylvester Host: Tomini Babs Episode photography: Joe Mee Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
